NEW DELHI, Oct 31: One person was killed and six were injured, at least two of them critically, in a freak accident involving firecrackers in Eluru district in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday.
A man on a two-wheeler was carrying a shipment of powerful ‘onion bombs’ – a speciality Diwali firecracker – when the bike hit a pothole near a local temple, and the ‘bombs’ fell off and exploded. Reports suggest the shipment of Diwali ‘bombs’ had the same explosive power as improvised explosive device (IED).
CCTV footage of the tragedy showed two men on a white scooter driving at speed through a narrow street; this was at 12.17 pm. The bike explodes as it approaches a point where the street widens and meets at main road. There was a small group of men – five to six – at the junction.
The force of the explosion was such that the entire area was covered in dark grey smoke, with bits of paper fluttering around. As the smoke cleared, two men, somehow having survived the blast, come running to safety and parts of the bike and body can be seen scattered in the distance.
The two men can be seen holding their ears, probably ringing from the explosion, and approaching the residents of a nearby house for help. The bike rider has been identified as Sudhakar; images from the scene showed gruesome wounds and a body literally blown apart. The six injured were rushed to the district hospital; two are in critical condition.
The police are at the scene, have registered a case, and begun an investigation.
(Manas Dasgupta)
